EDITED 5/30/2020
"What happened?" Alec yelled as he ran into the infirmary with Clary close behind him.
"I don't know." Izzy replied. "I found him like this in my room."
She gestured to the young boy in the hospital bed. He was unconscious, pale and he had a bandage wrapped around his head.
"Oh my God, Max." Clary gasped, taking a hold of her younger brother's limp hand.
"We should send him to Idris." Alec told his sisters. He was gripping the bed rail so hard that his knuckles were turning white. The white hot fury was coursing through his veins and making his blood boil. This happened in his institute, to his younger brother. "See what they can do."
"The medics said that in his condition he won't be able to survive the transfer." Izzy said, shaking her head.
The siblings were silent for a moment until Jace rushed into the room, Sebastian close behind him.
"Max!" Jace gasped, rushing up to the end of the bed. "We checked the Institute's security camera footage. Whoever attacked him is somehow covering their tracks."
"Has he been able to talk?" Sebastian asked, staring down at the boy lying unconscious in the bed.
Izzy heaved a sigh. "Not yet. He's unconscious."
"I don't understand." Clary cried, leaning into her brother's side. "Who'd want to hurt him?" Alec wrapped an arm around his sister's waist but didn't react anymore than that, his gaze remaining on his baby brother's slack features. Clary wrapped her arms around Alec's torso and clung to him, tears beginning to pool in her eyes.
"I'm going to find out." Alec grumbled, gripping his sister tighter.
"Get Robert and Maryse here." Jace told his Parabatai. "The rest of this will figure this out."
"I'll stay with Max." Sebastian volunteered. "If he regains consciousness, perhaps he can ID his attacker."
Jace led the way into Izzy's room, walking unsteadily. "From the traces of blood outside the door, it seems Max was attacked somewhere else and then he came here." Jace told Clary.
His voice was hoarse and wavery, he almost sounded like he was about to throw up. Clary didn't blame him. The sight of her younger brother laying in that hospital bed, unconscious was enough to make her stomach turn.
"Do you have any twos?" Clary asked, sitting cross legged on her bed in Magnus' loft, smiling at her younger brother who was laying on his stomach across from her.
"Goldfish." Max beamed, proud that for once, his sister wouldn't be getting a card from him.
Clary chuckled. "It's 'go fish' Max. Not Goldfish."
"Oh." Max said, then he shrugged. "Close enough."
Clary laughed again as she plucked a card from the middle stack, looking up to catch Alec's eye as he stood in the doorway, arms crossed leaning against the door jamb, watching his two youngest siblings with a warm smile. She grinned as he noticed that he'd been caught and he winked at her.
"Got any fours?" Max asked excitedly, moving the game along.
"He was probably looking for help." Clary said, trying to force herself to stay in the moment.
They crouched down next to the blood stain in Izzy's carpet and grasped each other's hands, seeking comfort from each other.
"Clary." Jace said all of the sudden as he reached under the bed. Clary's eyes snapped to the object that he'd pulled out.
"By the Angel." Clary breathed, looking at the wooden box in his hands. It was the box she'd given Alec, the one that belonged to Jonathan. "We have to tell Alec."
"Tell Alec what?" Jace asked as he turned the box over in his hands, looking for something remarkable about it.
"That Max was looking for Jonathan."
"What did you find?" Sebastian asked as He, Clary, Jace and Alec gathered around a table in the Ops Room.
"The box that Jocelyn used to keep Jonathan's things in." Clary replied, looking to Alec rather than Sebastian.
"It was right where Izzy found Max." Jace added, slouched over with his palms pressed flat on the table.
"I remember Max had his eyes on it." Alec said. He looked worse than the rest of them. His arms were folded against his chest and he was leaning over slightly as if there was a pain in his chest that was much too intense to bear. "He was so determined to prove himself."
"It's possible he found a way to use the box to track Jonathan." Jace informed the group.
"Wait," Sebastian interjected, seeming confused. "All of this would mean that Jonathan found a way to get inside the Institute without us even knowing."
"Well, he's Valentine's son." Jace said. "We were trained to do the impossible."
"If Jonathan attacked Max and came for the mirror..." Clary started to say.
"He wouldn't have left here without it." Alec finished.
"Alec, he could still be in the building." Jace pushed himself up, straightening up with the urgency of the situation.
"Listen," Alec leaned in closer to the group. "We have to confirm he's still inside."
"We saw what the real Jonathan looks like." Jace said. "He will be glamoured as one of our own."
"Hiding in plain sight." Clary sighed.
"Okay, Okay. Sebastian," Alec agreed, sighing. "I want you and any other personnel in supplemental guard duty. Effective immediately, the Institute's on Lockdown. Jace - Send out notices to the Downworld leaders, let them know that we've had an infiltration and that there have been casualties, that we will be on lockdown until further notice."
"What? Why?" Clary asked.
"Total Transparency, remember?" Alec asked, then walked away.
"Wait, wait." Sebastian called after him. "We'll need to fortify security outside as well. I can spearhead that team."
"No I have it covered." Alec shot him down. "If Jonathan's still in the building, he's not getting out alive."
"They say that maybe you can hear me." Izzy sniffled, one hand holding one of Max's limp ones and the other grasping Clary's. They were sitting together at Max's bedside, letting the steady beeping of the heart monitor ease their worries as much as it could. "I want you to wake up, okay?"
"Open your eyes and wake up, Max." Clary added tearfully. "Please."
"Sorry to interrupt." Sebastian said from the doorway.
"It's okay." Izzy sniffed, turning slightly so that she could see him.
"How's the little fighter doing?" Sebastian asked as he made his way to the side of the bed opposite the sisters. "Is there any progress?"
"We're still waiting to hear back from Brother Enoch." Izzy replied. "But Max already defied the odds in surviving Jonathan's attack."
"If anyone can make it, he can." Clary said reassuringly as she wrapped her free arms around her sister's shoulders.
"Look, you two need to take care of yourselves as well." Sebastian told them. "You should take a break."
"Um, thanks." Izzy said, her eyes leaving Sebastian's gaze and looking back towards Max. "I can't leave him."
"Look, just a few minutes will do you a world of good." He pressed.
"We're fine." Clary told him. "Thank you."
Just as Sebastian opened his mouth to press the issue further the door swung open and Robert and Maryse entered the room.
"Oh, Max!" Maryse cried, rushing forward, Robert not far behind her.
"Mom!" Izzy stood up. "Dad." She hugged them both and Robert moved to stand behind Clary's chair, placing a comforting hand on his youngest daughter's shoulder.
"Your father and I spoke with Brother Enoch." Maryse said as she released Izzy and reached out to brush a strand of hair from Clary's face. "He says Warlock Magic can't heal Max."
"Our only hope is to allow the Silent Brothers to ... attempt a procedure that they only use in rare emergencies."
"Kind of like a... rebooting of the brain." Maryse explained further.
"Does it involve any risks?" Clary asked.
"I'm afraid so." Robert confirmed. "Very few Shadowhunters have survived it."
"And you still think we should do it?" Izzy asked.
"If we don't, Max will never wake up."
Alec didn't hear when the portal had opened into his office, nor had he heard Magnus round his desk. He hadn't even noticed when Magnus began to shake his shoulder gently, attempting to grab his attention. The urgent calling of his name almost directly in his ear didn't phase him, in fact the only thing that had brought him out of his daze had been the sudden spark of electricity that started at his shoulder and ran through his body, making him jump and the hairs on the back of his neck stand at attention.
"What the . . .?" He gasped looking around and flinching so violently when he noticed Magnus right next to him that his chair rolled back several feet into the wall, making his head bounce against it painfully.
"Alexander!" Magnus gasped, surging forward and checking his head for a bump.
"I'm - I'm fine." Alec waved him off. "I'm fine."
"What happened?" Magnus demanded. "When I got the notification of the lockdown I was worried sick. Why didn't you call me?"
Alec shook his head. "Jonathan has infiltrated the Institute, and he attacked Max. I - I don't know if he's going to make it."
"What?" Magnus sunk down onto his knees in front of Alec's chair. He'd never seen Alec look so thoroughly defeated before. He'd never seen him look so devastated.
Before Alec could elaborate any further, Jace burst into the room. "Hey, man. Mom and Dad are here."
"Anything?" Izzy asked as she arrived back at the infirmary, spotting her parents and Alec sitting outside the door.
Before anyone could answer her the door opened and Magnus and Brother Enoch emerged.
Magnus sighed heavily, looking directly at his boyfriend. Alec knew before Magnus said anything, he practically fell back down into his chair, staring dejectedly up at the man he loves.
"His injuries are too severe." Magnus said for everyone else's benefit. "Max's only hope for recovery now lies with Brother Enoch."
"There's gotta be something . . . anything." Alec begged brokenly.
"Brother Enoch." Maryse interrupted her eldest son's plea.
"No!" Alec yelled, jumping to his feet and trying to stand in the Silent Brother's way.
"Alec," Maryse said firmly. "I know you're scared. We all are. But Max is going to have any chance, we need to let Brother Enoch do this. Now."
Alec struggled against her grip, still trying to rush to his brother's side when Magnus lightly pushed Maryse out of the way and took his hands between his own.
"Alec. Brother Enoch is Max's only chance. If he doesn't do this, Max will never wake up."
"This could kill him."
"Max will die anyways without it. I'm so sorry, darling." Magnus reached up and stroked the side of Alec's face. "This is his last hope. Why not let him try?"
Alec finally stopped struggling and he slumped down into his chair, still holding Magnus' hand.
"Has the lockdown been called off?" Sebastian asked Clary as he approached her.
"If you can prove you're not Jonathan." Clary told him.
"Ahem, sorry, what?" Sebastian asked nervously.
"We figured out a way to blow his cover." Clary quietly revealed. "Jace remembered reading in Valentine's journals that Jonathan can't tolerate Electrum.
"Right, because of the demon blood." Sebastian realized.
"Mhmm." Clary hummed. "Valentine wrote that he'd scream in pain the second it touched his skin, it burned straight through to the bone. So, I extracted some of the electrum from Izzy's whip and we're having everyone hold it to see if they react."
"Well, I'm very impressed." Sebastian grinned wryly. "It seems Jonathan's finally met his match."
Clary made a face and smiled at him. "Don't take it personally." She pleaded, grabbing the electrum from a guard. "If you have to leave, just hold this for a few seconds." She held it out to him. Sebastian held out his hand only to pull away a second later.
"I was just wondering, actually, if you caught Jonathan, you wouldn't kill him, would you?"
Clay sighed and shook her head. "I used to believe that Jonathan could be saved. But after what he did to Elliot, and Dot and now Max? I'll kill him with my bare hands if that's what it takes."
Sebastian sighed and held out his hand. "Well then, shall we?"
He held the material in his fist for a few seconds before depositing it back in her hand, careful not to show her his palm.
"I guess I passed your test." He said with a small smile. "I'll see you later." He walked away and after a moment, Clary followed.
"Sebastian! Hey!" He stopped and allowed her to catch up with him, looking at her inquisitively. "Hey, you forgot something." She grabbed his hand and looked at his palm, not at all surprised to see the wound.
Sebastian reached back and busted the big red button behind him, making the doors slide shut as Clary pulled her dagger and stabbed him in the gut. He groaned and took her by her neck, squeezing so hard that black dots danced in her vision almost immediately. She could barely hear the guards banging on the doors as her ears rang, the lack of oxygen already affecting her.
"After ten years of torture in Edom, I learnt to endure pain." Sebastian spit, as he seethed. "In fact, I rather enjoy it."
The dagger that she'd stabbed him with fell from her hands as her limbs started to go numb and he pulled her closer, his free hand now cupping her face as he traced her bottom lip with his thumb. "I wanted you," he admitted to her. "And the mirror. But if I can't have both . . ." He pulled his dagger from his belt and prepared to stab her when the doors slid open, blue magic enveloping them. Magnus was on the other side, a distraught looking Alec and Jace behind him. Upon seeing the dagger in Sebastian's hand and the grip he had on Clary's neck, Alec saw red and he charged the pair, ripping Clary away from the man, he pulled an arrow from his quiver and stabbed Sebastian in the shoulder.
The blonde cried out but didn't waste any time in taking the dagger in his hand and slashing upwards, cutting through Alec's shirt and skin like butter. Blood splattered on Jonathan's face and when Alec hit the ground he turned and ran, grateful for the distraction the injured man provided for the other three present.
"Alec!" Jace cried, sprinting towards his fallen Parabatai. Magnus and Clary didn't take long to follow. When they reached him, Alec was conscious and flaming pissed. Blood soaked his shirt and was pooling beneath him where he lay on the cold tile floor. As Magnus began to heal him he realized that Alec was talking. He listened closely and realized that the man was cursing quite fluently in French.
"Ce putain de connard ferait mieux de surveiller son dos. Je vais le tuer, putain. Attends que je mette la main sur lui. cela ressemblera a putain de coupe." Alec grumbled as his skin knit itself back together.
Once he was done, Magnus reached down and placed a hand on Alec's forehead, causing the younger man to cease his grumbling and look up into Magnus' eyes.
"Quand est-ce que j'arrêterai de te perdre, mon amour?" Magnus asked him quietly.
"tu ne me perdras jamais. Je suis a toi a jamais." Alec replied, unshed tears in his eyes as he listened to his sister sob brokenly in his brother's arms. He knew, without hearing what Jace was murmuring to her, that his Parabatai had just broken the news that Max was dead.
Alec waited until he knew that his family and Magnus had convened in his office to fish his phone out of his night stand to make the phone call. Despite being healed directly after sustaining the injury, he'd been put on bed rest. And so, he'd rested in bed for a grand total of forty five minutes before deciding that his sentence had been fully served.
He pressed the dial button on the phone and held it up to his ear as he shrugged his jacket on and toed his shoes onto his feet.
"Hello?" Simon picked up.
"Are you busy? No? Great." Alec said. "Meet me at the Hunter's Moon, ten minutes." He hung up before the vampire could object and grabbed his stele before sneaking out of his own Institute. It took him less than ten minutes to make the walk to the bar and he ended up waiting for Simon to show up, in a booth. Maia had come by and asked if he'd wanted anything and he ordered four tequila shots, not unlike the last time he'd been there with Simon.
"Hey, man." Simon slid into the seat across from Alec just as the Shadowhunter was finishing off his fourth shot. "Uhh, you okay?"
"My brother is dead." Alec informed him as he raised his hand, signaling for more shots.
"Oh." Simon said in shock. "Oh, my God. I'm so sorry. Are you okay? I mean, obviously not. Do you need anything?"
"More shots." Alec replied as Maia made her way over with four more shots.
"Right." Simon agreed, hesitantly. And, not unlike the last time the duo had shared drinks, Alec got plastered, but instead of carting him off to the loft, Simon texted Magnus. He asked the Warlock to come right away, saying that it was bad.
Simon watched as Alec downed shot after shot after shot, eventually he stopped grimacing as they went down and his eyes got glassier and more unfocused.
Not five minutes later the Warlock showed up and beelined for their table.
"What part of bed rest did you not understand?" Magnus demanded of Alec.
"I wanted to get drunk." Alec informed him.
Simon had to admire that despite all the alcohol that Alec had consumed that night, he was still able to articulate near perfectly.
"Why?" Magnus asked him in exasperation. "What could possibly possess you to leave your family at a time like this and drown your sorrows in booze?"
"It's all my fault that he is dead." Alec told his companions shamefully.
"What?" Simon asked incredulously "I doubt that."
"I wasn't at the Institute when it happened." Alec revealed. "If I had been then he'd probably still be alive. Instead Clary and I were out ring shopping."
"Ring shopping?" Simon asked, glancing up to get a glimpse of Magnus' shocked expression. "You mean like...?"
"I'm going to ask Magnus to marry me. But you can't tell him. It's a surprise." The Shadowhunter pointed his finger at the pair threateningly and Simon realized that despite how unusually composed Alec seemed, he was really, very drunk. He had no idea that the man standing at the end of the table was Magnus, and Simon doubted that Alec remembered that he was with Simon either.
"Right." Simon nodded. "We promise. Our secret."
"Let's get you home, darling."
"Home?" Alec asked, with all the vulnerability of a young child.
"Oui, mon amour." Magnus confirmed. "Home."